Like many other high school students, senior Jordan Nwogu will head across Stadium Boulevard and attend the University of Michigan next fall. Unlike most of those students, though, Nwogu will not just be hitting the books in the library — he will also be hitting a baseball in Ray Fisher Stadium, home of the Michigan baseball team. Although he received several offers to play football at Brown, Air Force, Eastern Michigan, and Kent State, as well partial-scholarship offers to play baseball from Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, and Marshall, Nwogu chose to commit to Michigan as a preferred walk-on, meaning that he is assured a spot on the team, but is not given a scholarship. The biggest factor in his commitment to Michigan was his interest in their renowned engineering program, which is ranked sixth in the country by U.S. News & World Report. “I chose Michigan because it balances both top ranked athletics and top ranked academics,” he said. In addition, Nwogu attended an engineering camp at U-M this summer, which reinforced his interest in becoming an engineer. As Pioneer’s starting left fielder and cleanup hitter, Nwogu batted .453 with seven home runs on the baseball diamond during his junior season, and was also a standout on the football field, recording 51 tackles with three forced fumbles. Nwogu says football has had “both a negative and positive impact [on his baseball career]. Football has made me a lot stronger, but it’s taken time away from playing baseball.” He added that football has taught him lessons such as the importance of hard work and commitment, which he can apply to both sports. Nwogu credits Pioneer’s competitive academic and athletic environments for his high school success, saying that “learning how to manage my time with academics and sports prepared me for college.” Even as a standout athlete, the focus in the Nwogu household has always been on academics. His parents, both Nigerian immigrants, “have always been more concerned about academics [than sports],” said Nwogu. Nonetheless, his parents still support his accomplishments on the field. “They agree with my decisions and know I’ll work hard to be a student athlete,” said Nwogu. Another huge supporter of Nwogu is Mike Bess, an assistant coach for the Pioneer baseball team. He motivated Jordan to become the player he is today. “Early last spring, we had a very honest and frank discussion before the Skyline game at Pioneer. I told Jordan that he was the most talented player I had ever coached, but he didn’t show it on the field,” said Bess, who then told him that he needed to dominate the game like he was capable of. Nwogu responded by hitting a grand slam in the first inning. Bess said Nwogu has a very bright future in baseball. “The sky’s the limit,” he said. “With continued improvement and work, I think playing professionally is certainly possible. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see him in the major leagues some day. If that happens, I better get some free tickets.”